Haunting my brothers
by TransitIntoANewWorld
Summary: Jack Mercer dies and comes back as ghost. He struggles to reach his family from beyond the grave, meanwhile an old enemy returns seeking revenge. *warning: violence, foul language, some sexy times, and scary stuff*
1. Chapter 1

**i love this movie! i'm putting a ghostly twist to this spaghetti western.**

**I don't own Four Brothers.**

* * *

Jack Mercer listened to the far away calling of his name. He followed the sweet elderly voice that beckoned him just at the end of a dark tunnel, where a warm white glow blinded his eyes. He tried to shield his eyes with his hands, but he couldn't. He walked into the bright glow and felt like he was opening his eyes.

The white glow surrounded him before disappearing completely. The light was replaced with a horrifying scene. Dead bodies scattered across the neighborhood, bloody snow covered the side walks and a family huddled in mourning.

Jack saw Bobby Mercer, his oldest brother crying over his dead body. He also saw his second oldest brother, Jeremiah Mercer, mourning against a telephone pole. Then Jack looked on with sad eyes as his older brother, Angel Mercer, cried into Sofi's embrace. The beautiful woman, recently engaged to Angel, let tears slip down her face as she whispered caring things to her fiancé.

The youngest Mercer looked down at his body, staring into his own dead eyes and felt a sob escape his mouth. He felt an overwhelming sadness. Jack sobbed with his family and didn't notice when Bobby left his spot over Jack's body. He jerked when he heard a gun shot from nearby.

**. . .**

Bobby Mercer enjoyed the weather of summer. It was warm, dry, and sunny. He worked under a car in an auto repair shop. He was an incredible mechanic, his skills and knowledge around automobiles were professional. Though Bobby worked as a mechanic, his passion wasn't cars, it was Hockey.

Hockey was his art, his hobby, and his childhood. Bobby played hockey as much as he could when he wasn't busy. It was his release, and it once had been his profession before he changed careers.

Bobby finished his work and wiped the grease from his hands with a red cloth. He was ready to call it a day. He clocked out of work and saluted his boss in mock respect before leaving the auto shop. Bobby wasn't the nicest guy, he'd admit if asked, but being a douche was his past time.

He smirked to himself as he imagined his day ahead, playing turkey cut with the guys and insulting their mothers. He frowned, thinking about his own mother, and how he'd beat up anyone brave enough to insult her.

Bobby drove home in deep thought about the troubling events that occurred last winter. He never liked to go back to that time because it distracted him. He felt placed in a mind trap, unable to escape the heavy feelings his heart could remember.

Bobby blinked out of his trance when his brown eyes caught sight of Angel sitting on the porch. Angel Mercer looked stressed with his head in his hands. Bobby parked in the drive way and turned off his car. He gathered his jacket and made his way to his younger brother.

"Angel?" Bobby called out. Angel didn't look up, instead he remained in the same position. Bobby clenched his jaw, not having any patience and kicked at his brother's shoe. "What the fuck's the matter?" Bobby asked rudely in his Boston accent.

Angel grunted softly when Bobby kicked him. He finally looked up at his older brother with scared eyes. He licked his luscious lips and spoke with a slight quiver in his voice.

"I can't... I have no..."

"Speak clearly,"

"You're one to talk," mumbled Angel.

"What the fuck was that?" Bobby growled.

"I can't explain it, Bobby," Angel said, trying to steady the quiver in his voice, "I have no clue how it happened,"

Bobby wasn't sure what Angel was trying tell him. He didn't want to get his own hopes up, but he wondered if Angel was distressed due to his woman. Bobby looked at Ma's house, now repaired from the damage done last winter, and listened for noises. He heard nothing and he figured no one was inside, then he looked back at Angel.

"Is La Vida Loca finally gone?" Bobby asked, letting out a hint of hope unintentionally.

"What!?" Angel asked angrily. He stood up and punched his brother in the arm. Bobby punched back, and Angel winced. The soldier frowned and shook his head not wanting to fight with his brother. He looked away from Bobby and pointed to Ma's house.

"I ain't going back in there, and neither is Sofi, until you check it out first," Angel said affirmatively.

Bobby looked back at his mother's house. Evelyn Mercer raised her family in that house and now her second youngest son sounded afraid to enter her home. Their home.

Angel stepped behind Bobby and watched the house with trained eyes. The oldest Mercer brother raised a brow at Angel's wimpy behavior. He twisted to looked down on his brother and readied his tongue.

"You want me to check Ma's house for what? I thought youse a tough guy, _Jarhead_? What, did a little mouse scare ya!?" Bobby asked with a glare.

"It was no damn mouse in there!"

"So, something's in there?"

"Yeah. There's _something_," Angel said, his brown eyes grew wide. "Bobby, it's been there all day,"

Bobby rubbed his brow, trying to ease the tension near his left eye. He was confused, and Angel sounded unreasonable. Bobby eyed his brother's tense stance and laid a heavy hand on his shoulder. He gave Angel's shoulder a rough squeeze. Angel felt the comfort his brother was giving him and leaned closer to Bobby.

Bobby let go of Angel and turned back to the innocent looking house. He felt Angel press against him from behind. He tried to ignore the sudden gut feeling he was getting when Angel suddenly wrapped his arms around him. Angel always clung to Bobby when he genuinely scared, expecting his older brother to protect him.

Then the sound of an object falling to the ground with a loud thud echoed from inside the house. Angel flinched and tightened his hold around Bobby. The oldest brother grew tense. He furrowed his brows in confusion, wondering what fell.

"Angel, let go you pussy," Bobby said and shook his brother off him. With a determined expression, Bobby grabbed his younger brother by the arm and forced him to walk beside him as he went up the porch and into the house.

"Bobby, I have a bad feeling, man," Angel said, casting a worried glance around the living room. He clenched his hands and held his fists up to block his face. He was ready for a fight. Bobby found what fell. It was a picture frame with a photo of Jack's smiling face.

Bobby picked up the photo frame and looked at the picture with a look of sadness. He momentarily forgot the situation at hand until the stairs began to creak. Bobby looked to the stairway, expecting to see Angel walking up the stairs. He saw no one.

Angel watched the stairs with fearful eyes. He reached for Bobby, needing him, with one hand and held his other fist ready to strike. Angel shivered and felt the air around them grow cold. He could just barely see his breath.

Bobby saw his breath and he let out an uneasy sigh. He felt a strange mix of familiarity and sadness. The kind of feelings he would sometimes get when he thought of Jack. Bobby looked back down at the picture in his hands and dared ask, "Jack?"

Bobby's only response was the sound of Jack's guitar, still in Jack's room. Angel flinched again, surprised by Bobby's question and even more surprised when he heard his baby brother's guitar.

Angel winced when Bobby forced him to follow him up the stairs and into Jack's room. They entered slowly, looking around for any signs of life. There were none. Bobby crossed the room to the instrument on the wall. The strings were still.

"Jackie-poo?" Angel asked in a whisper, Bobby heard his brother and looked at him with a disapproving look on his face for the sissy nickname. He was about to say something on it too when he heard the guitar again. Both men whipped their heads in the instrument's direction and watched the strings vibrate with sound. "Holy shit!"

Bobby agreed with his brother. Holy shit, man! Jack's guitar played a couple of more strings as the brothers watched with fear and awe.

Jack smirked. He plucked the D string one last time with whatever energy he had left.

* * *

**I'd rather have ghost-Craker Jack haunt then ghost-Nappa. Jus' sayin' s'all. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**threw a random charc. for plot.**

**~i do not own Four Brothers.**

* * *

Jeremiah Mercer stood in front of his two distressed brothers. Both Bobby and Angel sat on the porch with their heads in their hands. Jerry shook his head in pity and made a humming noise, catching Bobby's attention.

"It's like we said over the phone, Jerry," Bobby began, sounding out of breath, "He's back! Jackie was reaching out to us in some freaky _Poltergeist_ type way."

Angel nodded his head in agreement. He looked at Jeremiah with complete honesty. Jerry reel back in suspicion of Angel's honest face, he couldn't believe his brothers really believed in ghosts.

"A'right, you two better tell me right now! What you did to my brother Angel," Jerry pointed at Angel and then switched to Bobby, "and my brother Bobby? Because the lord knows there ain't a damn thing in this big cold world that could scare those two!" Jerry shouted and raised his arms up in exasperation.

Angel stood up right away and glared down at his big brother. His nose wrinkled with his deep frown, and he balled his hands into tight fists. Angel didn't say a thing, he knew Jerry could see how angry he felt. He just stormed off the porch and shoved past Jerry as he took a walk down the street to cool off and think.

"Angel?" Bobby called, and stood up. He was met with silence, so Bobby didn't push it. He turned his attention back to his younger brother. Jerry looked at him with worry now, deep lines streaked across his handsome face. Bobby put his hand on Jerry's arm and gave it a squeeze. "Jack is back, Jerry. Ain't no doubt about what Angel and I saw in his room. That was a sign."

Jerry was unsure about how to respond. He took a moment to think about an appropriate question. He rubbed his chin, finding a fleeting comfort in the feel of his curly beard. He mused over the idea of ghosts moving objects. People become ghosts by dying in bizarre and sudden ways. Jack Mercer died slowly by gun wounds.

"If Jackie really is here," Jerry started looking at his brother, "Then shouldn't we get a psychic to communicate with him?"

Bobby grinned. His brother Jerry was always there for his brothers, no matter how scary or ridiculous the situation. Bobby nodded to his brother's question. A medium was exactly what they needed to get in touch with Jack's ghost.

"I'll go get Angel, and you go get out the phone book," Bobby said in a commanding tone, " We're gonna find us the best fucking psychic in Detroit, so help me Jesus Christ!"

"Ok!"

**. . .**

Sofi applied her lipstick. Who knew mediums could be so handsome. She smiled into the bathroom mirror upstairs and batted her lashes flirtatiously at herself. Sofi approved of her lips and then she worked her hair.

The kitchen table in the Mercer home was decorated with spiritual items. The white table cloth, white candles, a book of shadows, and a goblet. A handsome young man sat at the table browsing through his book.

Bobby and Jerry stepped into the hall and huddle close, they were a breath away as Bobby licked his lips. He looked at Jerry and his brother stared back.

"Where the fuck did you find this kid!?" Bobby hissed harshly. Jerry winced and blushed in embarrassment.

"He was the only medium in Detroit that sole focuses on communicating with dead spirits,"

"He better be good for what we're paying!"

"Shh! He's the best we're getting with our budget,"

Bobby made an ugly face. He didn't like being reminded about financial problems. He and his brothers were just managing through the bills. He mentally prayed that this kid wouldn't scam them of their money. Then again, if Bobby found himself robbed of his money, he could always beat the kid into giving him a refund.

Angel sat in Jack's room. He felt nausea in the pit of his stomach. He held his midsection, the tight muscles under smooth dark skin rippled as Angel contracted them when his shifted on the bed. He could just barely smell Jack's perfume and the smell of weed. He smiled at the memories of spending nights together smoking weed and listening to old records.

Angel laid down on the bed and snuggled into the comfort of Jack's bed. He had spent nights with Jack, smoking, munching, and sharing secrets. The two youngsters were always cooperating in all kinds of mischief. Stealing the last slices of cake for themselves after dark, or bailing each other out of school. Ma put an end to the hooky, but she never did anything about the pranks they'd pull on their big brothers.

A soft knock came to the door and Angel sat up, his nausea forgotten over his moment of reminiscing. Sofi popped her head through the door and smiled at her fiancé. Angel's features lit with a charming smile. His woman was looking good tonight and he wondered if it was for him. He had convinced her to return to Ma's house and join the ceremony, and he was happy she came.

"The ceremony is about to start, baby," Sofi said in her unique Colombian accent.

"Alright, baby," Angel replied, "I'll be down soon." Sofi nodded and shut the door. When she left, Angel smiled sadly. He really wanted Jackie-poo to be his best man at his wedding. Shaking the thought from his head, the soldier got off the bed and made his way downstairs.

Sofi flirted with the young man, whose name she learned was Jet E. and he had the prettiest violet eyes she's ever seen. She sat in the chair next to him and gave him her best smile. Jet smiled politely at her and shied away from her advances.

Bobby narrowed his eyes at the beautiful woman. He disapproved of her care free attitude around other men. He took his seat next to Jet and glared across the table at Sofi. Angel took a seat next to her, he didn't seem to care that his woman was flirting with another because in the end she was loyal to him alone. Jerry flipped the light switches as the candles, already lit, were the only light source in the room.

"Let us begin," Jet said and held his hands out on the table. He made strained humming noises with his eyes closed. Bobby scrunched his eyebrows in annoyance. He thought Jet sounded like a suffering animal and smacked the kid in the back of his head to shut him up. "Ow!"

"Are you fucking serious!?"

"Bobby calm down." Jerry placed a firm hand on his older brother's shoulder. He took a seat next to him and kept his hand in place. He nodded for Jet to continue.

Bobby breathed heavily through his nose. He felt his patience growing thin. He knew Jack was somewhere in the house, reaching for them. Bobby wanted to reach back and take hold, and protect him, but he was helpless in this situation.

Sofi glared at Bobby. She cooed and caressed Jet's head, running her slender fingers through his light brown hair. Angel crossed his muscled arms over his chest, showing off his beef. The kid took the hint and pulled away from Sofi's soothing touches.

Clearing his throat, Jet began again. He held his palms out and this time he simply closed his eyes to concentrate. Silently. He breathed slowly, his whole body becoming light, until Angel broke the silence with his loud voice.

"Shouldn't we be holding hands or some shit like that?"

"Yeah!? That's how it works in the movies," Bobby said in his loud Boston accent. Jet was confused as to why Bobby sounded like a New York man if they were in Detroit, Michigan. Shaking his head to get rid of the thoughts, Jet wagged a finger at the brothers.

"Those are just movies," Jet began, "I'm strong enough to communicate with spirits on my own energy,"

"The fuck does that mean?" Bobby asked rudely, completely unimpressed.

"Shut up, Bobby!" Sofi chided. She put her hand on Jet's arm and made big eyes at him. "I apologize for Bobby, he's dumb like a burro," She said and gave him a charming smile.

Bobby stood up suddenly, and so did Angel. The two brothers argued back and forth over Sofi's actions that night. Jeremiah was use to blocking out his brothers, so he ignored their usual banter and eyed the items on the table.

Jack usually found humor in the way his brothers fought, but he couldn't help not noticing. He felt himself drawn to the young medium the second he entered Ma's house. Blue eyes could see a soft glow coming from everyone of his family members, that included his living soon-to-be sister-in-law, but the one coming from the medium glowed brighter than all of them combined. He could feel it too, like warm sunshine.

Jerry slammed his palms on the table and grabbed everyone's attention. Bobby and Angel quieted down from their arguments and looked to their brother expectantly.

"You're going to do more than talk to our brother," Jerry said to Jet with a firm voice, "You're planning on doing some sort of ritual nonsense,"

"Yes," Jet said, shifting a little in his seat, "My ritual nonsense, only if you pay bonus, I can pull him into our dimension. You'll be able to see him and hear him."

"What about feel him?" Angel asked, missing his brother's touch.

"Over time, it can be possible, but..."

"What?" Bobby demanded.

"There are side effects,"

Everyone was in their seat listening to Jet. The young medium could feel their hopes biting into his skin. He sat straight and pulled his hand away from Sofi's grasp. She just wouldn't stop touching him.

"I'm going to perform a ritual where I can summon him to our world, but it won't last long unless you all offer your spiritual energy for him to feed off.

Angel opened his mouth to ask why, but Jet held his hand up to silence him.

"Jack is weak in energy, just barely present around us, and he needs more energy to be seen and be heard. It takes a lot of energy to be able to touch him. Say you all agree and feed him energy. Side effects could include fatigue, depression and sickness.

"That's just to name a few. Anything could happen. This one guy who summoned his dead wife, had nightmares every night until he finally committed suicide. Do you really want to take such a huge risk?"

Bobby looked at everyone's face. They all had determined expressions on their faces. They all nodded at Jet and Bobby gave a small smile at the medium. Jet could feel the hopeful energy Bobby was emitting through his smile. He could feel the love that this family had for Jack, and he gave a small smile of his own as the emotions washed over him.

"Ok," Jet began, "Let's begin. I'm going to need your tears,"

Bobby frowned. Sofi didn't hesitate, and she forced herself to cry. A few drops landed in the goblet that Jet held out for her to weep over. When Sofi was done, she passed the goblet over to her man.

Angel eyed the goblet and grunted as he tried to cry. After 10 seconds of failure, Bobby burst out laughing. He commented on how Angel sounded constipated. Angel defended himself about how much of a tough guy he was to cry. Jeremiah suggest triggering tears with pain.

"That's a great idea!" Bobby shouted and did his best smacking the tears out of Angel.

Jerry smiled in amusement. He tried not to laugh when Angel got pay back by smacking Bobby's tears out of him and into the goblet. Jerry took the goblet next, the tears came easily out of his eyes and into the cup before handing it to Bobby. Jerry would easily cry if it meant seeing his baby brother again.

"Do ya'll think Ma would approve of what we're doing?" Jerry had to ask.

"Yeah," Bobby said without hesitation, "She would join us if she were here." Bobby smiled knowing his eccentric mother would happily support her children. She was accepting of anyone with a good heart, which she believed good existed in everyone.

Bobby looked at the misfit looking medium again and knew his Ma would welcome him with open arms. Bobby smacked Jet's face, making the kid shed a tear. Bobby caught it in the rim of the goblet before it could be swiped away.

Jet gave a cry of indignation when Bobby smacked him. He caressed his red cheek and glared at the eldest Mercer. Sofi was quick to place a kiss on the hurt cheek. She left a kiss mark in lipstick on the medium's face.

"My tears aren't necessary for the ritual!" Jet shouted.

"Just want to make sure Jack makes it safely through dimensions," Bobby said with a smirk.

Jet grunted and took the goblet, placing it on the table. He opened his book of shadows on the marked page. He began reading the words in Latin. The goblet began to glow brighter than the candles and a white light shot up to the ceiling. Jack tensed. He knew this light, it had called him from the darkness once before.

Sofi took Angel's hand in her own and held in tightly. She winced in pain as she felt tugged towards the light. Everyone felt the same as Sofi. The energy was being pulled from them and poured into the goblet.

"Now," Jet began, "Jack Mercer, I call to you from the Earth dimension! Take the offering of your family's tears and energy. Cross over!"

Jack nodded and reached for the goblet. He was surprised and excited to see he could actually lift it. Bobby watched the goblet rise and tilt. Jack kissed the rim, tasting the salty tears, and drank the energy his family was willingly offering him.

Angel grew excited as Jack's form faded into view. Everyone cheered as only a small amount of light was left for Jack to drink, then suddenly a dark shadow flew into the goblet, knocking the cup out of Jack's now visible hand.

The dark shadow, whatever it was, sucked the last of the light before disappearing out of the house. Jet gasped and stood up.

"A thief!" He shouted, and suddenly felt light headed. He sat back in his chair and slumped. Angel turned on all the lights and blinked the sudden wave of dizziness from his eyes. He stared in awe at what he was seeing.

The candles flickered, no match for the florescent lighting. Angel grinned, showing his bright white teeth. Jack, currently standing on the table, smiled down at his brother and gave a happy chuckle. Jack floated gently down to the floor.

"Oh damn," Bobby breathed, "You've become a real fucking fairy,"

"Shut up, Bobby!" Jack shouted. He grinned, glad his family could see him and hear him. Bobby waited no more and walked up to his brother. He looked Jack over and noticed his brother looked the way he did before the gun wrapped his arms around Jack, and laughed with nervous relief when he could feel physically hug his baby brother.

Angel joined in and soon Jeremiah was joining the group hug. Sofi smiled and watched her family, happy to see her man's face brighten with happiness. She brushed her fingers through Jet's hair as she sat in his lap.

Sofi looked to the fallen cup, on the ground forgotten due to Jack's arrival, and frowned at it. She shivered, remembering the dark blur that swiped away the last sip of white energy. Her mother use to warn her about dark forces and to never mess with the dead. Then she looked at Jack's young smiling face. Sofi missed that cute face and longed to touch his cheek.

**. . .**

Victor Sweet wasn't sure who was calling to him, but it was better than the empty silence he was almost accustomed to. He saw a light at the end of a tunnel and rushed to it. His whole body flew through what felt like walls of white light. He saw his vision clear and he spotted the dead Mercer brother drinking the white light. He didn't know why, but he wanted that light.

He managed to steal the last drop of light. He flinched when some punk called him out on his actions and fled the house. He was relieved to have left the house, it was heavy inside, but outside in the streets Victor felt practically alive.

He made his way, floating quickly, through the streets of Detroit searching for him home. Wanting. Needing revenge.

* * *

**i would gag if i drank tears .**


	3. Chapter 3

***warning: drug use***

* * *

Jack Mercer was back with his family. He grinned and hugged his brother Angel as tightly as he could, loving the warmth coming off of him. Bobby smirked and patted Jack's back hard. He grabbed Jack's shoulder and squeezed it hard.

Jerry pulled Angel away from Jack so he could move in and hug him. Jerry grinned from ear to ear, showing off his big teeth. The corners of his eyes wrinkled. He was so happy he shed a few tears.

"Need me to get you a tissue, Jerry?" Bobby joked. Jerry swatted at Bobby and missed, but he didn't care.

Angel laughed lightly, happy to have his little brother back. All the pain in his heart from missing his brother eased away. He held back any tears, wanting to keep his tough guy rep. Sofi got up from her seat on the medium and walked right up to Angel. She hugged him quickly before turning her attention back to Jack.

Jack smiled at Sofi and opened his arms, welcoming her. She hugged Jack and kissed his cheek multiple times, happy to see the rocker back. She sniffed holding back tears, not wanting to ruin her make up.

Jack pouted and wiped the kiss marks off his cheek. He didn't like having lipstick marks ruin his image. An image his family could see again. Jack sighed with relief, happy to be seen and heard again.

Bobby prompted an idea up. They should celebrate with a family dinner. Sofi would do all the cooking. Everyone agreed except Sofi.

"I'm not doing all the cooking, Bobby!" She shouted at him.

"I'll help," Jack suggested. Sofi turned to him and hugged him again.

**. . . **

Victor Sweet found his home. His expensive house, with his own Mancave, was now owned by his two only nephews. Victor growled. He wanted to take back what was his, but it wouldn't be easy.

Anthony Sweet and Joshua Sweet had inherited the house and Victor's high mob office after their uncle's death. They were damn happy about it too. They ran the place like amateurs, but they were having fun doing it. They were currently playing cards with Charlie, now loyal to the two new leaders, in the Mancave betting on change.

Then Victor showed up, passing through the walls like a ghost and he glared at his old gang members. Charlie was the first one to notice a change in the air, then he looked up. Victor grinned darkly at the horror in Charlie's eyes. Charlie screamed in fear, not caring if it sounded a bit feminine.

Joshua whipped his head around and fell out of his chair. He gave a shriek that was mimicked by his twin brother, Anthony. Victor kept a cool composure as the men shook and stared with wide eyes, full of disbelief.

"Whose winning?" Victor asked as he took a seat at the gambling table.

"I-I'm w-winning," Charlie stuttered. He gaped at Victor and then shut his mouth. He made a thoughtful face. "How are you still alive?"

"I'm not," Victor replied with edge to his voice.

"It's really you, uncle Vic?" Joshua asked as he got up off the floor. Victor glared at his nephew and nodded.

"I'm back bitches, but something tells me it won't be for long," Victor began, "I expect ya'll to cooperate or else I'll make your lives a living hell. From what I can already tell is that I need that white light ya'll got to sustain my being. Got it!?"

"Y-Yeah," Charlie nodded his head. "But what do you mean _sustain_?"

"What white light?" Anthony asked with worry.

"It means, I need your life force, or whatever it's fucking called, in order to be here like I am in front of you. Otherwise, I'm a ghost and I'll be stuck watching you," Victor explained in a threating voice. Just like Jack, Victor could see a glow coming off around the edges of living people.

"A ghost like _Casper_?" Anthony asked.

"Do I look like a muthafuckin-friendly ghost to you!?" Victor shouted and smacked his stupid nephew upside the head. Anthony winced in pain and shook his head quickly.

"You're back to take the town. Aren't you, uncle Vic?" Joshua asked. Victor gave him a knowing smirk and nodded his head.

Victor turned his cool dark gaze at Charlie. He was pleased to see the realization in his brown eyes. Victor Sweet was running his part of Detroit again, and he was going to get his revenge. He made sure the three men were quick to accept the sudden change of events.

**. . .**

Jack giggled uncontrollably. He took another drag of the joint Angel had rolled. Angel took his joint back and took a drag for himself. The younger brothers looked at each other and a silent challenge was formed to see who could hold their breath the longest.

Jack smirked to himself at Angel's ditziness. The youngest Mercer is dead, a practically physical person, and he didn't need to breathe. Angel didn't think of Jack as not needing air, he was so distracted with his return, that he was now struggling to keep from taking the first breathe. He couldn't hold the smoke in his lungs any longer and he coughed, gasping for clean air.

Jack blew out his smoke and quickly opened a bottle of water for Angel. His brother thanked him and drank, easing the hurt in his throat. Jack smirked at Angel and rubbed his back, asking if he was ok. Angel nodded his head with a mouth full of water and some drops escaped the corners of his mouth trailing down his neck.

Jerry shook his head at Angel. He knew the look in his younger brother's eyes when the challenge was made and knew that Jack had already won before the game had even started. Jerry was amused at how Angel didn't catch on to their younger brother's trick.

Angel rubbed his sore throat with a grimace. Jack poked his big bro's muscled arm and grinned smugly. Angel swatted his baby brother's hand away, not liking his finger jabbing him in the arm. He set the water bottle back on the table and looked up to see Bobby smacking the young medium in the head.

"Yo, Bobby!" Angel cried out. "What's the fuckin' hold up with this kid? Just pay his ass and show him to the door!"

Bobby glared at Angel from the kitchen. Who did Angel think he was, talking shit from the couch as he got high? Bobby flipped Angel off and turned his attention back to the young man.

"Look, kid," Bobby ground out, "I've a hundred bucks for you. Take it or leave it!?"

"The bill was 200," Jet said with a growl, "and you still owe me the bonus for bringing your brother to almost-alive!"

Bobby smacked Jet again on the side of his head. He didn't like anyone challenging his word. Jet took each hit, and stood rigged. He was too scared to strike back, but he didn't want it to show through his angry mask. Bobby narrowed his eyes at Jet, purposely giving him a hard time.

"I'll tell you what, kid," Bobby said, in hard voice, "Take a hundred and a bag of weed and we call it even."

"Weed! I don't even know hot to smoke that shit!" Jet pouted childishly.

"Then let my little sister teach you how to smoke," Bobby said and pointed to Jack. "He's great at it and plus, you might like that shit and want it."

"Are you encouraging me to use drugs?" Jet asked and narrowed his eyes.

"You're not a minor right?"

"I'm eighteen,"

"Good!" Bobby gripped Jet's shoulders and twisted him to face Jack, and forced him to go over to the couch. Jet grumbled and stomped over to Jack, taking a seat next to the dead man. Bobby rubbed his hands together and sat at the kitchen table with Jerry. "Jerry, we need to talk, man."

Jeremiah nodded his head. He huddled closer to Bobby, completely comfortable with their closeness. Sofi started on the dinner, she glanced Bobby's way and rolled her eyes. The Mercer brothers were so close, even when they spend years apart.

Bobby sighed as he thought over the events of the night. He figured he'd start with the side effects they were warned about. The side effects is connected to the oath the Mercer family took to feeding Jack their energy.

"Do you think we'll begin feeling depressed or sick as we continue to feed Jack?" Bobby asked quietly, fiddling his right hand on the table.

"I don't know, but I think it may also depend on how much energy we give Jack," replied Jeremiah softly, a little worried.

"We just need to give him enough to stay visible and heard,"

"Jackie can do more than that. He can touch and be touched,"

"That's because he got a lot of juice tonight,"

Jerry nodded and then thought over more about the goblet he cried his tears into before it was swiped from a dark shadow. He looked to the floor, the cup was gone, picked up by the medium and put away.

"Jet cried out 'thief' earlier, remember?" Jerry said, bringing up the dark shadow.

"Yeah, I remember," Bobby replied, "There was _something_ that took the last of the white light. Then it was gone,"

"Do you think it was a...?"

"What, Jerry? A demon? Another ghost?"

"Yeah," Jerry said and shivered. He leaned in closer to Bobby, wanting to feel his big brother's presence more strongly. Bobby picked up on his brother's body language and draped his left arm across Jerry's shoulders. Jerry smiled at the comfort his brother gave him. "Do you think everything will be alright?"

"Of course," Bobby said in a reassuring voice, "I won't let anything bad happen."

"You make trouble, Bobby," Jerry said sadly.

"I scare trouble away," Bobby joked and patted Jerry roughly on the shoulder.

Bobby stood up and frowned at what he saw on the couch. Angel was on the floor with his legs on the seat cushions singing oldie songs. Jet was fast asleep on the couch, curled up in the corner. Jack was missing. A loud clang from the kitchen caught Bobby's attention. Jack was in the kitchen, high as a kite and trying to boil pasta noodles.

Could ghosts even get high?

Apparently so.


End file.
